


In A Name

by westernsunset



Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 23:03:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12375975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westernsunset/pseuds/westernsunset
Summary: “How do you all get your names anyway?” asked Raoul, hoping to get an answer that had long eluded him.Hakuin shrugged. “It depends. Sometimes names are given, sometimes they’re chosen by the warrior. More often than not, a Shang warrior takes their name for their fighting style, unless they’re named for an Immortal, which as you know, means their one of the leaders of our Order.”“If you get your name for your fighting style,” said Raoul with a mischievous smile, “why are you a Horse?”Hakuin laughed. “I’m asked that a lot, if you can believe it.” Raoul laughed. “But if you’ve ever been kicked by a horse, you’ll know they’re nothing to sneeze at.”





	In A Name

“Sir Raoul, I hear you have someone you think can best a Shang warrior,” a good-natured voice called to Raoul from across the King’s Own mess hall.

Raoul (and every other head) turned to see who was addressing the Knight Commander with such familiarity. Hakuin Seastone, the Shang Horse filled the doorway with his tall, lanky frame. He smiled, and strode over to the table where Raoul was eating.

“Seastone, always a delight to see you,” said Raoul, moving over to allow Hakuin to sit. The Shang warrior smiled again and draped his body across the bench, not bothering to lower his voice as he helped himself to the food.

“You should know better, my friend. Running around telling people that one of your commanders is as good at hand to hand combat as a Shang warrior. We are a humble people, but every person has their breaking point,” said Hakuin nonchalantly.

“As much as I love to be accused to rumors I never spread, I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” responded Raoul, holding back a laugh. The men of the King’s Own were used to the Shangs popping in from time to time. Both Shang warriors that graced the palace were kind and easygoing. They rarely stood on any formal ceremony, even when speaking to nobels.

“Captain Ulliver Linden? You didn’t tell your Squire here that he was as deadly in hand to hand combat as ‘any Shang warrior’?” said Hakuin, gesturing to Kel, whose characteristically blank face revealed none of her emotions. 

Raoul laughed. “I guess I may have said that, but Linden is good. I’d put my money on him against you any day,” he said, as a friendly challenge he hoped the Horse would take.

One of the wonderful characteristics of Shang warriors is that they have very little to prove. They move through the world assured of their ability to win just about any fight, and take most insults lightly. At this statement, one that most knights would have bristled at and demanded restoration of their honor, Hakuin only smiled.

“We may never know who would win in a fight between me and your Captain,” said Hakuin. “But I don’t think you would have the same confidence if Linden was to go up against the Wildcat.”

Commander Flyn suppressed a laugh. “I know Shang training is rigorous, but the Wildcat is twenty years older than Linden. On age alone, it’s not a fair fight.”

“Thank goodness she isn’t here right now,” said the Shang Master, with a look of mock relief. “You’re a good man Commander, I’d hate to see what she would do to you if she heard that.”

“But I know you’re all bored,” said Hakuin, taking a roll from the table and standing to leave. “What say you to a friendly match, Ulliver against Eda?”

“Captain Linden should be here any minute, you can ask him yourself,” said Raoul, who was secretly excited to see how his Captain would fare against a trained warrior.

“That’s alright, I have pages to train,” said Hakuin. On his way out, he said “let’s say first bell after dinner? At the practice yards? It’s staying light longer, there should be enough to see.”

“I suppose I’ll ask Linden, but I can’t imagine he’d say no,” said Raoul as the Shang warrior left with a cheery wave.

As Raoul expected, Linden was more than willing. The Captain had always been interested in hand to hand combat, and had even spent a year or so training with a Shang warrior, and still found time to practice while he was in the King’s Own. He greatly respected Shang warriors, and studied how they fought. Unlike Flyn, Linden wasn’t sure he could beat the Wildcat, who was well known in and out of Shang for her deadly roundhouse kick.

Raoul, Flyn, and other members of the Kings Own accompanied Linden to the practice courts after dinner, and found the two Shangs already there, preparing. Hakuin and the others took their places along the fence, while the Wildcat and the Captain finished stretching.

“Do you really think your Wildcat will win?” said Raoul, fiddling with a loose board on the fence.

“She’s not my Wildcat, but yes I’m very confident she will win,” said Hakuin, not taking his eyes off the older woman as she went through a series of small exercises.

“How do you all get your names anyway?” asked Raoul, hoping to get an answer that had long eluded him.

Hakuin shrugged. “It depends. Sometimes names are given, sometimes they’re chosen by the warrior. More often than not, a Shang warrior takes their name for their fighting style, unless they’re named for an Immortal, which as you know, means their one of the leaders of our Order.”

“If you get your name for your fighting style,” said Raoul with a mischievous smile, “why are you a Horse?”

Hakuin laughed. “I’m asked that a lot, if you can believe it.” Raoul laughed. “But if you’ve ever been kicked by a horse, you’ll know they’re nothing to sneeze at.”

Raoul laughed again, and turned his attention to the fight. Eda nodded to Hakuin, who hopped off the fence, and loudly called the group to attention.

“Now, this is just a friendly sparring match, which means either party can give a signal when they want to fight to end. Normally, Shang matches only end when one person can no longer stand, but that’s not necessary here. This is just a friendly match to prove that no one, not even a respected captain of the King’s Own, is as good as a trained Shang Warrior.”

Raoul and his friends jeered good-naturedly. A little trash talking was normal before a fight, even if it was just between friends. “Now shake hands you two, before you knock each other out,” said Hakuin, standing between Ulliver and Eda.

The two combatants clasped each other's arms warmly, smiling. Both seemed excited to test the other’s skill. “I’ll give the count,” said Hakuin, stepping back slightly. He counted backwards from 5 and called “Begin!”

Eda and Ulliver immediately dropped into fighting stances. Anyone watching could see that Ulliver was gifted. He seemed sure of his steps, as he and Eda circled each other, watching muscles intently for an opening. When Eda struck, her punch and Ulliver’s block were a blur. Almost as soon as the two had made contact, they were back to circling each other, Ulliver with a look of respect. Raoul guessed the Wildcat hit harder than expected.

Edging closer, Ulliver lashed out with a kick intended for the Wildcat’s head. Eda’s forearm caught Ulliver on the shin, and she wrapped her arm around his calf and tugged the man forward, catching him off balance and throwing him over her hip. As quickly as he fell, Ulliver was back up, landing a solid kick on Eda’s ribs. 

The Own cheered, not everyone had the skills to hit a Shang warrior. Eda smiled, never taking her eyes of Ulliver. After trading a couple more hits, with the King’s Own cheering each time, Eda feited left with a soft punch to Ulliver’s heard, and kicked him square in the chest, sending him flying backwards, and leaving him gasping for air on the dirt in the practice yards. 

Everyone gasped (everyone but Hakuin, who continued to watch the fight closely). The Wildcat didn’t leave her fighting stance until Ulliver raised a hand and waved it, signaling that he was out.

“Match over!” Hakuin called, as he poured water. Eda walked over to Ulliver with a big smile, complimenting his skills, offering to spar with him again. Ulliver smiled weakly as the men from the Own surrounded him. Hakuin gave some water to Ulliver, his eyes dancing with laughter.

“Ah I remember the Wildcat’s kick to the chest! She knows just how to hit to make a man lose all his air!” said Hakuin as Ulliver nodded, still unable to talk. “Drink something, it’ll help.”

As the men of the Own surrounded Ulliver to get him off the ground, Hakuin gave a small nod to the Wildcat, who nodded back and walked off in the other direction. Raoul stood by the fence and Hakuin came over, not losing his good humor.

“Sorry about your Captain. Truth is, Eda and I were bored, and he will make for an excellent sparring partner in the future,” Hakuin said.

“I think Ulliver enjoyed himself as well,” said Raoul with a smile. “You knew Eda would win?”

“Of course. Ulliver is good at what he does, but there’s no one with the skills to beat a Shang warrior who has been trained from birth. And Eda is well-known for her kickfighting.”

“She does fight a little like a wildcat,” said Raoul, lost in thought. “All fast blows and surprises.”

“You should see her when it’s an actual fight. I’ve never seen such deep scratches from a human.”

Raoul laughed, then, “oh. You’re serious?”

“Deadly serious. She’s a force to be reckoned with.”

“Well then maybe she could beat Ulliver, but I still doubt you can,” Raoul said, mostly in jest.

“You may be right. But we’ll never know,” Hakuin smiled. The big knight shook his head, and walked away from the practice yards. As soon as Raoul turned his back, he heard a splintering of wood. When he turned again, he saw that the loose board he had been fiddling with was broken in half, and the Horse was walking towards the stables.

“I’ve been meaning to tell Stefan to fix it,” called Hakuin, as Raoul stood in disbelief, correctly guessing that the Shang had broken the old board with his hands or feet. “Don’t worry, I’ll put the new one in myself,” said Hakuin, as Raoul shook his head and walked back to the palace. He knew the Horse had to be a good warrior in his own right, and he hoped one day he’d get to see the man in action.

**Author's Note:**

> (if this work doesn't make it obvious I ship Raoul/Hakuin so I'm filling in the blanks of their relationship! Thank you for reading!)


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